Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Friday reiterated his suspicion that the recent violence in the state may be linked to the drugs case against Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia.
Since December 18, two separate incidents of lynching happened in Punjab over alleged sacrilege. On Thursday, a bomb explosion at a court complex in Ludhiana killed one person and left six injured.
Channi was quoted by ANI as saying, “We've started an investigation against the drug mafia. A case was listed in Mohali court and then a blast happened in Ludhiana court. I think there can be a link between them. This is being investigated.”
Channi said he suspected the role of the mafia involved in Majithia's case in the Ludhiana blast. Channi claimed the sole victim in the blast was the person who planted the device.
Channi denied there was an intelligence failure in preventing the bomb blast and declared his government was alert.
On Thursday also, he had linked the recent violence with the police action against Majithia.
Channi's statements were criticised by the Akali Dal. Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who happens to be Majithia's sister, tweeted on Friday, “If the CM has any evidence on who is behind the Ludhiana bomb blast, he should make it public and book the guilty.”
Harsimrat also shared a video in which she alleged the Congress had “stage managed... high profile false cases against opposition leaders, bomb blasts & killings” to distract from the "Channi-Sidhu flop show”, referring to Punjab Congress unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.
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She accused the Congress of trying to revive its earlier tactic of painting the Akali Dal and Sikhs as “separatists” and “terrorists”.
Harsimrat was quoted by Republic TV as saying, “We condemn the CM's statement in which he alleged that the recent horrific incidents of sacrilege and the Ludhiana blast occurred after Congress government registered case against former minister B.S. Majithia. He should expedite the probe into these cases, instead of politicising them.”
